ISLAMABAD - The senior leadership of PPP Tuesday night discussed the overall political situation with specific reference to the upcoming Senate elections, party's strategy for the upcoming joint session of the Parliament to discuss the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security for restructuring of the country's foreign policy and host of other issues relating to the national politics.
Sources aware of the deliberations of the meeting, held under the chair of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani at the PM House, the senior party leaders were briefed by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah on the Election Commission's interaction with the political leaders belonging to various political parties on preparation of fresh electoral rolls.
The sources further said that the party had expressed satisfaction over the preparation of fresh electoral rolls and also showed its resolve that the government should take extra pain in the process and efforts should be made that the electoral exercise should be made transparent for holding of free and fair elections.
It was further decided that Opposition's concern in this connection should be fully addressed particularly on the matter relating to the nomination of provincial members of the Election Commission unanimously agreed upon by the Leader of Opposition and Prime Minister.
Khurshid Shah also took the senior party leaders on the government strategy on the passage of the 20th Constitutional Amendment to be tabled before the National Assembly in the upcoming National Assembly session to provide constitutional cover to the MNAs elected in the by-elections. In this connection, he had also briefed the members about his negotiations with other parliamentary parties in the National Assembly including those sitting on the opposition benches.
The meeting also discussed the upcoming Senate elections due on March 2 and the negotiations with the coalition partners in this regard and the party leadership once again expressed the party's commitment to take the coalition partners along and would accommodate them in these elections. In this connection the final decision of seat-adjustment with coalition partners would be made by the party Co-Chairman and the list of the party candidates for these elections would also be finalized on his return from foreign visit, the sources added. The party leadership also discussed the strategy to go about the Joint Sitting of the Parliament to take up 35 set of recommendations given by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security for redefining of country's foreign policy with specific reference to its relations with United States and its role in ongoing war on terror.
The Prime Minister also took the party leaders into confidence on his meeting with the Chief of Army Staff and the DG ISI.
The PPP leadership made it clear that the government would not budge on the issue of the unprovoked NATO attack on Pak border check-posts in Mohmand Agency and said that the NATO supplies would be restored only after NATO's formal apology.
The sources further informed TheNation that the party leaders had hailed the way the Prime Minister handled the standoff with superior judiciary and once against expressed the government's resolve that they would bow to the decisions of the Supreme Court and implement the same remaining within the constitutional limits.